NCAA will let fans decide the best of March Madness

Dec. 11, 2012
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Duke's Christian Laettner, top, who scored the game-winning basket in overtime, celebrates with teammate Grant Hill on the floor of the Philadelphia Spectrum as teammates and fans crowd around as Duke defeated Kentucky 104-103 to advance to the Final Four in 1992. / Amy Sancetta, AP

by Scott M Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

by Scott M Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

With the NCAA set to celebrate its 75th anniversary of the Big Dance in March, the months leading up to one of the best sporting events in the world serve as the perfect time to highlight the rich history of the NCAA tournament.

On Tuesday, the NCAA launched an initiative to highlight those 75 years by unveiling three long lists sure to help hoop fans rekindle their own personal favorite memory.

The best part: There will be no NCAA committee to snub any team, player or moment because the cutoff will be based on fans' input.

Starting in January, fans will be allowed to vote on NCAA.com/March Madness to help determine the Top 15 All-Time March Madness Players, the single best All-Time March Madness Team, and the single best All-Time March Madness Moment.

"To honor the growth of our sports, we are celebrating past players, teams and moments that have helped turn March madness into one of the year's most anticipated sporting events," vice president of men's basketball operations Dan Gavitt said in a statement Tuesday, inviting fans to "take a trip down memory lane."

The lists were compiled and researched by the NCAA's basketball and statistics staff, which consulted with the NCAA's media partners and selected members of the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).

Who's your favorite player of all time? Here's our 10 for a refresher:

Who's your favorite team of all time? Here's our 10 for a refresher.

What's your favorite moment of all time? Here's our 10 for a refresher.

We've seen the NCAA tournament transform from an eight-team event to a 68-team field that requires "bracketologists" to decipher which teams have the best resume to earn a ticket to the Dance.

"And of course, we encourage friendly debate among fans around all their favorites," Gavitt said in his statement.